By Delayna Earley
The Island News
A traffic stop in Port Royal over the weekend resulted in more than just a ticket.
Thirty-five-year-old Sarah Nicole Sullivan from Beaufort was arrested and booked at Beaufort County Detention Center on Jan. 18.
Sullivan faces charges of trafficking fentanyl, trafficking crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a weapon during a violent crime – S.C. law classifies drug trafficking as a violent crime – simple possession of marijuana (second offense and possession of narcotic paraphernalia.
On Saturday, Jan. 18, at approximately 2:15 p.m., Port Royal Police Sgt. Stephen Shaw was conducting “proactive patrol” near Savannah Highway when he pulled over a vehicle that was acting suspiciously.
After discovering that the vehicle’s registration was suspended, Sgt. Shaw pulled the vehicle over and noticed containers typically used to conceal narcotics while interacting with the vehicle’s occupants.
Aid was requested from a Beaufort Police Department K9 unit and the K9 was alerted to the presence of narcotics after a free air sniff of the vehicle.
Police say they searched the vehicle and found fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, marijuana, a Glock 42 (.380) pistol, a Glock 19 (9 mm) pistol, four hypodermic syringes, ammunition for the guns and assorted drug paraphernalia.
According to public records, Sullivan was released on Jan. 19, but as of Tuesday afternoon the court records have not been updated to reflect bail.
Delayna Earley, who joined The Island News in 2022, formerly worked as a photojournalist for The Island Packet/The Beaufort Gazette, as well as newspapers in Indiana and Virginia. She can be reached at delayna.theislandnews@gmail.com.
